Lifetime value (LTV) is the total revenue one patient brings you across the whole relationship, not the ticket on their first visit. Most practices price their marketing, their discounts, and their no-show policy against the first visit — which understates what is actually at stake.
The formula
LTV = average visit value × visits per year × years retained
An example: a tox patient
$550 × 3 visits × 4 years = $6,600 per patient
Add one filler cycle a year and the same patient is worth $10,000 or more. Retain them one extra year and you gain $1,650 without acquiring anyone new.
Run your own numbers once, on paper. Most practices are surprised: the patient they priced at $550 is a $6,600 relationship. That changes what a no-show costs, what a discount costs, and how much a reactivation text is worth.
The four levers
Each row below shows the effect on the $6,600 example above.
Lever | How you pull it | Effect on the example |
Visit value | Assessment results present a treatment plan, so the consult is about a sequence rather than a single area. | $550 → $700 adds $1,800 |
Visits per year | Reactivation sequences timed to the 3–6 month concern cycle, plus an event invitation between maintenance visits. | 3 → 4 adds $2,200 |
Years retained | Memberships, and re-running the assessment at each touchpoint so there is always a stated next step. | 4 → 6 adds $3,300 |
Lapse rate | Nurture leads and lapsed patients on the same monthly cadence instead of writing them off. | Every recovered patient is a full $6,600 |
Why this reframes your marketing
Acquisition buys you the first visit. Retention buys the other eleven.
Once you know your LTV number, the layers that look least urgent — reactivation and events — are usually the ones paying back fastest. See {{Reactivate lapsed patients}} and {{Use your assessment for events}}.